Is Olivia getting too big for her boots?

On Scandal Season 5 Episode 16, her actions made Susan's ex-boyfriend kill himself.

TV Fanatics Jim Garner, Christine Hinton and Paul Dailly discuss Olivia's big move, Susan's past and the debate.

Did Olivia go too far?

Jim: The man hung himself to prevent destroying Susan's life... YES Olivia went to far. 

Christine: OMG! That white hat got trampled in the dust. It’s horrifying that Huck, the cold blooded killer, was the only one who cared about what this would do to Casey and that Olivia only agreed to run a fair campaign after pushing someone to suicide. In this episode, Olivia became her father’s daughter.

Paul: She really did and it's going to get her in a LOT of trouble. She needs help.

Were you surprised that Susan was hiding something?

Jim: Not at all, we all have secrets in our past, some big, some small. I don't blame her for hiding something about her daughter as she got into politics. 

Christine: No, like Jim said, we all have secrets. For as smart as Susan is, I wish she would have considered that her secret would most likely come out during a presidential election because EVERYTHING comes out during a presidential election!

Paul: I agree with the rest of the panel. Everyone is going to be hiding something!

Will the hate tweets change public perception of Mellie?

Jim: Some, I don't know if it will fix it all, but it certainly didn't hurt. 

Christine: It can only help. Mellie has a fun, human side and she needs to be able to show that.

Paul: Yes, but it isn't going to be enough to get her some friends who eat at Gettysburger.

Chat a bit about the debate.

Jim: Honestly, I feel like they threw Doyle into the mix just to mirror how things are going in real life. When he started talking about building a wall, I felt like I was watching Trump with a southern accent. 

Christine: Doyle certainly made it more entertaining…while scarily mirroring real life politics. I kind of hated that Susan could blow every question but still win with just one well sold story. What does that mean about our debate system?

Paul: I'm enjoying it so much! Being from Scotland, I can't say I've ever watched one, so this is making it all the more interesting for me. 

What do you think the big twist will be next week?

Jim: I'm not sure, given how much they are teasing it, I have to expect it is something we aren't really ready for. I'm kind of surprised the show is doing a "cliff-hanger" now, usually those are end of seasons, and 17 seems like an odd number for a season. 

Christine: I have no clue. I mean, Olivia almost outed a poor child’s paternity to the nation, blackmailed the real father and he ended up killing himself to protect a daughter he never even knew. I can’t even imagine what comes next!

Paul: I have a feeling Jake might be killing someone, before calling Olivia and screaming, "It's handled."

Remember you can watch Scandal online right here on TV Fanatic. 

Here's your first look at Scandal Season 5 Episode 17:

Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.